History
“Not to know what took place before you were born is to remain forever a child”
Cicero- Roman politician, historian and philosopher
Key Stage 3
The KS3 scheme follows a general chronological framework to aid chronological understanding. After reading many pupil’s feedback forms and staff suggestions, we have tried to keep in the most popular and inspiring topics as well as trialling some different ones. The study should include overview, depth and thematic studies.
Though all aspects of the course are important, we will focus on certain areas. By the end of KS3 we hope that the majority of pupils will have:
(a) Enjoyed their history lessons- feeling challenged as well as successful
(b) A clear chronological framework and understand key features of different periods
(c) Studied and considered the cause and consequence of significant events
(d) Looked at different interpretations of key individuals
(e) Worked as individuals and in pairs and groups when investigating topics
(f) Used and analysed a range of sources to prove their ideas
(g) Communicated clearly in a structured way
|
Year Group |
Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Term 4 |
Term 5 |
Term 6 |
|
7 |
Baseline exam Roman Empire Project |
Norman Conquest- claimants to the throne, Battle of Hastings, How did William Control England Medieval life Black Death project |
Power and Kings in the Medieval times including the Murder of Thomas Becket |
Religion and life in the 1500’s Henry VIII |
Interpretations of Henry VIII Edward VI, Lady Jane and Mary I |
Queen Elizabeth I |
|
8 |
Queen Elizabeth I project |
Charles I The English Civil War |
Slavery The Civil Rights movement inc the murder of Emmett Till |
19th century living conditions
|
World War One Trenches Treaty of Versailles |
Adolf Hitler World War Two The Holocaust |
|
9 |
Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88. Queen, government and religion, 1558–69 |
Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88. Challenges to Elizabeth at home and abroad, 1569–88 |
Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88. Elizabethan society in the Age of Exploration, 1558–88 |
The American West, c1835–c1895. Plains Indians Culture and early migrants |
The American West, c1835–c1895. Ranching, Homesteaders and Cattle Ranching. |
The American West, c1835–c1895. Law & Order. Indian wars and the end of the Plains Indians way of life. |
Year 7:
(a) Ancient Roman History including work on ‘Was the Roman Empire really great?’
(b) 1066 and how William controlled England
(c) A Warwick Castle project (with the University of Birmingham)
(d) The Black Death
(e) Power and Kings in the Medieval times including the Murder of Thomas Becket
(f) Religion and life in the 1500’s
(g) Henry VIII- Star or Monster? Including the closure of the Monasteries
(h) Did ‘Bloody Mary’ deserve her nick-name?
(i) The reign of Queen Elizabeth I
Year 8:
(a) The reign of Queen Elizabeth I: A depth study (Including an assessment)
(b) Charles I and the Civil War
(c) The Restoration and power of Parliament
(d)The Trans-Atlantic slave trade
(e) The Civil Rights Movement inc the Murder of Emmett Till
(f) 19th century living conditions including: What was life like for people in the 19th century?
(g) The causes of WWI and the conditions of trenches
(h) Treaty of Versailles, rise of Hitler and how he controlled Germany
(i) Why is learning about ‘The Holocaust’ so important?
Year 9:
We have introduced a Foundation course for Year 9 pupils in History; this course enables pupils to gain a deeper understanding of the subject and the skills required when they begin their qualification in Year 10. It also enables them to enhance the skills they have been taught in Years 7 and 8.
In Year 9 we cover Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88 and The American West, c1835–c1895.
Pupils will complete a range of exam style questions as part of their Year 9 History course.
Key Stage 4
We follow the new Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) History course which consists of three externally examined papers. Students study Medicine in Britain, c1250–present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: injuries, treatment and the trenches, Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88, The American West, c1835–c1895, as well as Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39. Paper 1: Thematic study and historic environment is worth 30%* of the qualification and is a 1 hour and 15 minutes written examination. Paper 2: Period study and British depth study is worth 40% of the qualification and is a 1 hour and 45 minutes written qualification. Paper 3: Modern depth study is worth 30% of the qualification and is a 1 hour and 20 minutes written examination.
A variety of pupils choose to take History each year. History requires hard work and discipline but it is also an enjoyable and challenging subject. History requires a lot of reading and writing which immediately helps raise literacy standards in other subjects as well as preparing you for A-level work.
Key Stage 5
The Department currently runs AQA History A-level History (7042).
A Level History consists of the following units:
- Breadth Study 1K The making of a Superpower: USA, 1865-1975 [40% of A-level]
- Depth Study 2S The Making of Modern Britain, 1951-2007 [40% of A-level]
- Historical Investigation (Coursework unit) [20% of A-level]
The breadth study and depth study are both externally assessed via a 2 hr 30 minute written examination at the end of Year 13.
Homework
Homework is seen by the History Department as an extension of pupils’ learning and therefore view its completion as important and necessary. Homework is set regularly by all History teachers and pupils should have recorded the details in their Homework Planners. History staff are able to receive pupils’ homework via email if necessary but pupils must alert the member of staff when they have done so.
Additional reading, websites, activities
There are many historical websites and magazines available for pupils to increase their knowledge of the topics we are studying and we actively encourage pupils to take independence for their own learning in and outside of the classroom. Pupils have access to the Department’s own Historical reading and DVD library as well as a large selection of books in the school library.
Useful websites for pupils:
http://spartacus-educational.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_british.shtml
http://www.history-for-kids.com/
Year and Subject Specific websites:
Year 7 - Family History http://kids.familytreemagazine.com/kids/default.asp
Year 7 - Medieval (inc. Black Death) http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/index.html
Year 8 – The Tudors http://www.sixwives.info/index.htm
Year 8 - The Great Fire of London http://www.pepys.info/fire.html
Year 8 – 19th Century http://industrialrevolution.org.uk/
Year 8 – Soho House http://www.bmag.org.uk/soho-house
Useful revision guides for GCSE History pupils are the ‘Revise Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History Revision Guide and Workbook’ series published by Pearson and the ‘My Revision Notes: Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History’ series published by Hodder Education.
There are also many Historical television programmes suitable for pupils such as ‘Horrible Histories’ or programmes on the History Channel or National Geographic.
Additional reading for Key Stage 5 pupils:
The making of a Superpower: USA, 1865-1975
Key texts for classroom and individual study
H Brogan, The Penguin History of the United States of America, Penguin, 2001
P Clements, Prosperity, Depression and the New Deal: 1890-1954, Hodder, 2008
J de Pennington, Modern America: 1865 to the Present, Hodder, 2005,
D Murphy et al, Flagship History - United States 1776-1992, Collins, 2001
C Rowe, AQA History AS: Unit 1 - USA, 1890-1945, Nelson Thornes, 2008
Useful books for students
P Boyer, American History: A Very Short Introduction, OUP, 2012
P Clements, Prosperity, Depression and the New Deal, Hodder, 2005
R Dallek, Hail to the Chief, Oxford University Press, 1996
J Diggins, The Proud Decades 1941-60, Norton, 1989
H Evans, The American Century, Random House, 1998
N Ferguson, Colossus, Penguin, 2004
D Reynolds, America: Empire of Liberty, Penguin, 2010
H Zinn, The Twentieth Century: A People's History, SOS Free Stock, 2003
The Making of Modern Britain, 1951-2007
Key texts for classroom and individual study
C Rowe, The Making of Modern Britain 1951-2007, Nelson Thornes, 2009
M Lynch, Britain 1945-2007, Hodder, 2008
S Waller, A Sixties Social Revolution? British Society 1959-1975, Nelson Thornes, 2008
Useful books for students
S J Lee, Aspects of British Political History 1914-1995, Routledge, 1998
N Lowe, Mastering Modern Britain, Palgrave, 1998
A Marr, A History of Modern Britain, Macmillan, 2007
A Mayer, Women in Britain 1900-2000, Hodder, 2002
D Murphy (ed), Britain 1914-2000, Collins, 2000
M Pearce, British Political History 1867-200: Democracy and Decline, Routledge, 2001
C Rowe, Britain 1929-1998, Heinemann, 2004
Extra-Curricular Activities
Throughout the academic year, revision classes are scheduled for all examination year groups. Parents and carers will be notified by letter of these activities and asked permission for pupils to attend, as with off site visits.
